Romney: Putin, Kim Deserve Censure, Not Flattery

“I think the likes of Putin and Kim Jong Un deserve censure rather than flattery,” he said in a speech Monday at the Sutherland Institute, a conservative public policy think tank. “I think demonstrating personal character is one of the most important responsibilities of the leader of the land or those who are called to service in any part of it.”

Romney didn’t say he was talking about President Donald Trump in his remarks, but Trump has recently made comments about Putin an Kim that critics have slammed for being too flattering.

The former Massachusetts governor also said he doesn’t see himself as an establishment Republican.

“My slice of the Republican Party these days is about that big,” Romney said holding his hands about an inch apart. “I understand that.”

He also said he was disappointed that “neither party is interested in talking about the debt and deficit.